kevin gregg

Manny Machado is looking at a significant suspension after Tuesday's brawl

Jake Arrieta has a legitimate chance to win the NL Cy Young Award tonight, there's a couple of Buck Showlater connection in the manager of the year awards, David Ortiz is retiring and Manny Machado missed on the Platinum Gold Glove.

The Orioles and Red Sox have had their share of tense moments at Fenway Park over the years, but what happened in the fourth inning of Boston's 3-2, walk-off win Friday night didn't seem to be one of them.

How does this year's squad stack up through 40 games against successful Orioles teams of the past?

The intensity between the Orioles and the Red Sox on Saturday afternoon matched that of a pennant race.

Orioles likely will go with an internal candidate for closer in 2014. Tommy Hunter is the favorite

The Orioles don't have an established closer, but the Rays have shown in the past that you don't necessarily need one.

The possibility of the Orioles opening spring training with Tommy Hunter as the team's closer is becoming more real by the day. Once the team dealt 50-save closer Jim Johnson to Oakland, the club saw Hunter as a fallback option. But now he's turning into much more of a possibility.

The Orioles traded Jim Johnson so they could use his projected salary elsewhere. But they won't have much left if they buy another closer.

If you went to bed early last night, you woke up this morning to the news that the Orioles suddenly have an opening at closer.

Back in September, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said definitively that closer Jim Johnson would be tendered a contract and return next season.

Leading 4-2 in the seventh, Orioles reliever Pedro Strop allowed a three-run triple to Angels No. 9 hitter Erick Aybar that sparked a six-run inning and quickly changed the momentum of the game.

As a veteran of eight minor league seasons, right-hander Zach Clark has endured plenty of excruciating bus rides during his career. He had never been on a cross-country flight, however, until he flew to Seattle on Tuesday.

Jim Johnson and Jason Hammel got big paydays on Friday, and are set up for bigger paydays later

Orioles manager Buck Showalter likes to say his 2012 Orioles are a "sum of the parts" team, one that doesn't have anyone that really stands out, but plenty of players that help the club win. But in any successful campaign, the inevitable question is: Who is the club's most valuable player?

Chris Tillman (elbow) threw a successful bullpen on Thursday and will likely throw one more Saturday before taking the starting assignment Monday in Seattle. It will be Tillman¿s first outing since leaving the mound on Sept. 2 due to elbow ligament inflammation.

Down the stretch is a daily Orioles Insider blog that will set up the coming night for the O's and their American League competition as the push for the postseason continues.

Every morning, Monday through Friday, blogger Matt Vensel will hook you up with reading material -- mostly on the Ravens but with some other Baltimore sports stuff, too -- to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday. That way he'll have an excuse to do the same to start his workday, too.

L.J. Hoes was at home in Mitchellville watching a Tom Selleck baseball flick Tuesday around noon when his phone rang. A week after his Triple-A season ended, Hoes received notice to come to Baltimore — and be there in two hours or so.

Kevin Gregg, signed to be the Orioles' closer before last season, was popular in clubhouse but struggled on the mound.

The Orioles have made two roster moves today, selecting the contracts of outfielders Endy Chavez and L.J. Hoes from Triple-A Norfolk. To make room on the 40-man roster, they have designated right-hander Kevin Gregg and infielder Ryan Adams for assignment.

Kevin Gregg, whom the Orioles designated for assignment on Tuesday, said he¿s ¿really disappointed¿ that he will not be able to make a final postseason push with the Orioles this season.

Veteran reliever Kevin Gregg, who signed a two-year, $10 million free agent contract after the 2010 season to be the Orioles¿ closer, was designated for assignment Tuesday to make room for outfielders L.J. Hoes, a Mitchellville resident, and Endy Chavez.

rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre slugs 3 home runs as the Orioles fail to win a fourth straight road series.

In a season of surprises, rookie Miguel Gonzalez may qualify as the biggest one for the Orioles. But he couldn't continue his dominance against the Texas Rangers in a 5-1 loss Monday night.

The Orioles (64-54) lost just their fourth game in 12 against the Red Sox this season. With the loss, the O's remained six games back of New York. They also stayed within the two AL wild-card spots.

Buck Showalter sat in the visiting team manager¿s office of Yankee Stadium before Wednesday¿s series finale and waxed about how quickly momentum can change for a team during the haul of a 162-game season.

The more pressing concern is Orioles left hander Zach Britton, who last just 2 2/3 innings today and allowed seven runs on seven hits.

The Orioles bullpen was forced to throw 6 1/3 innings Wednesday when starter Miguel Gonzalez couldn¿t get out of the third. So will a move be made this morning?

Brian Matusz had already allowed 11 hits through five innings of work Tuesday night, but Orioles manager Buck Showalter wanted to see if he could scrape one more inning out of his left-handed starter.

On Monday, Dickey, arguably the most difficult pitcher to hit in the big-leagues right now, made that advice come back to haunt Showalter in a 5-0 New York Mets win.

Batting from the leadoff spot and starting at second base, Brian Roberts hit three singles and drove in a run in the Orioles¿ 8-6 win over the Pirates, their third straight victory.

While watching Jake Arrieta struggle on the mound against the Phillies on Friday night, Orioles manager Buck Showalter firmly believed that sending Arrieta to Triple-A was the best solution.

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters expressed his displeasure with the way Eddings was called balls and strikes Tuesday, and he was ejected for the first time in his career.